


Charmed by Luck

by Slamstorm



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), F/M, Prologue Kyoko is Completely Indifferent, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:47:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25935418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slamstorm/pseuds/Slamstorm
Summary: In which Kyoko Kirigiri struggles with increasingly intense feelings for a certain lottery winner.
Relationships: Kirigiri Kyoko/Naegi Makoto
Comments: 10
Kudos: 63





	1. Prologue

The first time they met, she felt nothing.

Hopes Peak Academy, a school for youths with talents had been deemed exceptional to the highest degree. Kyoko Kirigiri, as an upcoming student, had been requested to attend a meeting prior the official opening ceremony. Along with the rest of her soon-to-be peers.

Kyoko was sure a conversation with any number of these people would prove interesting, but she wasn't here to socialize. She had only one goal in mind when she chose to enroll here.

She had already performed background checks on each of them. Information on those who could hold the title of 'Ultimate' was not hard to come by, detective or not. There was no need to confirm what she already knew with small talk. Of the adolescents surrounding her, there was only one student whom she was not explicitly familiar with. But he was no mystery.

Kyoko had contented herself to absorbing the conversations surrounding her, when she sensed his approach.

"Excuse me!" Ah, it was him. The 'mystery' boy. He had previously been nervously conversing with the idol, who had acknowledged him with a degree of excitement and recognition in her eyes. Leaving a lasting impression on a female celebrity, a dream for many young men, surely. Said blue-haired girl was now engaged in lively conversation with the Ultimate Swimmer.

"My name is Makoto Naegi, I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student." He gave a polite introduction.

What Kyoko did next was not an act of distaste for the boy in front of her. As a detective, she considered drawing conclusions without solid evidence thoughtless. Possibilities however, were far more flexible in comparison. To perform the job of a detective with any level of competence, one required a healthy imagination.

With that in mind, Kyoko did what any competent detective would do. She profiled him.

**Name:** Makoto Naegi.

**Title:** Ultimate Lucky Student.

**Age:** Between 14 and 15.

**Appearance:** Slightly unkempt, light brown hair. Hazel eyes. Noticeably short in stature, estimate around 5'3."

_Displays outwardly social and courteous demeanor. Body language and expressions betray poorly disguised anxiety, likely intimidated by his peers._

For Kyoko, profiling came as naturally as breathing. She did it with everyone she met, case or no. The level of detail depended on the context of their meeting. A seemingly insignificant detail could become extremely relevant with further deliberation, she profiled everyone. It kept her mind sharp.

"My name… is Kyoko Kirigiri. I am the Ultimate Detective." She revealed only what would be expected, she would have preferred to give none.

As soon as the words had left her mouth, the nervousness seemed to melt off his face. The smile he wore lost all signs of being unnatural. She updated his profile.

_Eager to please, whether it's merely around his those deemed 'talented' remains to be seen. Showed no signs of apprehension when I revealed I was a detective; indicates he does not consider himself to be a troublemaker._

A detective could not account for every possibility, but they could try. Kyoko did not suspect Makoto of wrongdoing, but she was not infallible. If she ever needed to speak with him regarding a case, it was useful to commit facts to memory. Regardless of whether it was an interview, or an interrogation.

All information she lacked was a possibility, and with enough evidence a possibility became the truth. A force more solid than any other. The truth could never change, only one's perception of it could be altered. In her eyes, the boy in front of her was neither guilty, nor innocent. He simply was.

_If he were to commit a crime, it would likely stem from feelings of inadequacy or resentment regarding his peers._ She scrutinized him, without scorn.

"I hope we can get along!"

… Compared to the rest of their peers, he was among the least concerning. It was possible they would never have another conversation.

"Indeed."

But if they did, all she would have to do is recall this brief interaction, and work from there.

Makoto excused himself, approaching and unwittingly subjecting himself to the disdain of the heir.

Kyoko didn't spare him another thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kyoko, please. This is supposed to be a romance.


	2. Irritation

It wasn't easy to upset Kyoko Kirigiri, despite countless attempts to get under her skin. Things had been difficult in the past, but there were only so many times one could hear the same, uninspired mockery before it became monotonous rather than distressing. She was a woman, and she was young. People who pointed it out often ended up in prison.

When cornered, a culprit strikes at the ego. That was one of the first lessons her grandfather drilled into her. Whether to stroke it with false flattery, or suffocate petty slights. They would delude themselves into thinking they had the upper hand. But more often than, not all they would accomplish was convincing her that a case was nearly over.

Another lesson she'd been taught early on was to avoid making things personal, whenever possible. Professional relationships were encouraged, by nature an investigative career could not flourish without social skills. A detective needed to be wary of emotional manipulation, however. The same could be said for any career that dealt with criminal activity.

Yes, it was difficult to upset Kyoko Kirigiri. Many had tried, but…

"Hey. Kyoko, right?"

It was their second… no, third day of their semester. The class had already begun the process of separating into cliques, while less agreeable students opted for a degree of solitude. Kyoko was not ashamed to admit that she would fall into the latter category.

As the Ultimate Lucky Student, Makoto Naegi could be considered an odd one out compared to his classmates. An abnormality in his normality, so to speak. Kyoko wasn't sure why he'd sought her out specifically, but she could hazard a guess. If his uncertainty had been any more blatant, it might as well have been radiated off of him.

***Open Book.**

"Can I help you?"

"W-Well…"

It wasn't as if Kyoko was trying to make herself difficult to talk to, even if she didn't particularly want to speak with anyone. That said, she would have much preferred it if this boy had figured out something to say befo-

"Oh, that's right! The principal!"

… _What?_

"What about him?" Despite herself, she couldn't help but speak with a somewhat defensive tone.

He didn't seem to notice. "Your last names are both Kirigiri, so…"

_That man abandoned what that name stood for a long time ago. Why do you need to know, anyway? How is any of this your business?_

"What are you planning to do with that information?" She asked him outright.

He frowned. "What am I- I was just curious." Kyoko studied him carefully, his expression had morphed into one of concern. He didn't seem to be lying.

"Um, if I've- "

"I see. Well, if it's just curiosity, perhaps you should ask him." She cut him off.

"O-Oh."

She rose from her seat, making her way to the classroom's exit as casually as she could manage. "Excuse me."

She began to avoid him after that.

In a class with so many forceful personalities, disagreements between members of class 78 were an inevitability. Clashing wits, clashing tastes, clashing ideals... Truthfully, if it had not been for the presence of their self-appointed class representative, she doubted the class would have any level of unity.

Attendance wasn't mandatory at Hopes Peak, which suited Kyoko just fine. She had no intention of remaining in at school for long, so she was more than willing to disregard attendance in favour of detective work.

"As students, our job is to study! Classes may not be mandatory, but that doesn't mean you get to slack off! It's my duty to foster an environment in which we can all focus on our studies! I will not allow you to squander your valuable time on frivolous pursuits!"

Kyoko attended classes when she had the time.

"Um, Kyoko. About earlie- "

"Sorry, I'm a bit preoccupied right now."

Kiyotaka Ishimaru was certainly dedicated to encouraging his peers. However, building and maintaining personal connections was another story. Whether he was aware of it or not, that role had been taken up by another student.

She ran into him again during the first weekend, Kyoko had just concluded a fruitful meeting with one of her informants and was retiring to her dorm to perform a more thorough review of her freshly negotiated evidence. She had been mulling over her new leads when her train of thought was interrupted by an unusual scene.

Toko Fukawa was situated in front of her dorm, looking dishevelled and irritable, per usual. Makoto Naegi stood to her right, hesitantly attempting to make conversation. The Literary girl was pointedly avoiding eye contact with him.

Kyoko wasn't aware of these two having any significant relationship, Toko in particular seemed averse to social interaction in general. Perhaps Makoto had noticed this, and was attempting to befriend her. She supposed that was admirable of him.

While the scene in front of her sparked a faint intrigue, it was by no means a priority right now. She had work to do.

…They were blocking the way to her dorm.

The luckster retrieved an item from his pocket. A pen- ah, a fountain pen. A gift, then. He spoke something Kyoko couldn't hear, then gently placed the writing apparatus in her palms.

The writer scrutinized the tool, brows furrowed.

"I…" Her words came out as a whisper, fingers tightening around her present with a faint tremble.

"I-I'll never forgive you!" She hissed. "F-for being this nice to me...!" With that puzzling display of scorn, Toko promptly scuttled down the hallway. Muttering curses which faded into incoherence as she turned the corner. The fountain pen was not discarded.

Despite finding herself vaguely concerned, the path to her dorm was no longer obstructed. Kyoko felt there was no sense in lingering in the hallway.

Makoto looked quite troubled. "Toko, wait- ah!" He froze, it seemed he'd noticed her in his peripheral vison.

"Pardon, I did not intend to eavesdrop." Kyoko gliding past the stunned boy, she entered and shut herself in the room before he could regain his composure.

After registering the faint 'click' of her dorm's lock, Kyoko let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding.

_Whatever just happened, it doesn't concern me._

As she absorbed herself in her work, all thoughts of paranoid authors and affable lucky students faded from her mind. At the time, she had felt that was the end of it. But proved to be an ill-informed assumption.

Kyoko had been wrong, Makoto Naegi hadn't to befriend Toko Fukawa. No, Makoto Naegi wanted to befriend _everyone._

"Oh, Kyoko! Can we- "

"Excuse me."

Exercising with Sakura Ogami, a game of Othello with 'Celeste', a few futile attempts to converse with the heir, a _discounted(?)_ fortune telling session. Through no intention of her own, Kyoko found herself stumbling upon these small moments over, and over.

It wasn't as if she didn't like seeing her classmates getting along, but she couldn't shake the feeling of a metaphorical noose tightening around her neck. The fact that Kyoko had no intention of staying enrolled at Hopes Peak was irrelevant, she was one of Makoto's peers. It may have been irrational, but she really didn't feel like speaking to him again. Being subjected to these interactions only served to fuel her apprehension.

Kyoko knew she should really just finish her business in this school as soon as possible, but there was so much work to do. She refused to slack off in her duties for _his_ sake. She still held to her pride.

…She knew that was just an excuse, it wouldn't have taken long. A few minutes, at most. There was no denying she was being avoidant.

"U-Um…"

"…"

Kyoko reflected that she may have more in common with the author than she would care to admit.

***Determined.**

It was around a month into the year when she gave in. The time was somewhere around 11:30, and Kyoko was looking forward to a quick meal before turning in. The case she was on had dragged on longer than she would have liked.

She had been settling on a meal, when an exhausted looking Makoto trudged into the dining hall. There was a faint, fishy odour surrounding him and she noted he wasn't wearing his usual hoodie. He was in the middle of picking at a strand of hair when he looked up, and did a double take.

"Kyoko?!"

…

She was getting tired of this.

"You're up late". She noted. Few students visited the dining hall around this hour, Makoto was not one of them.

"I am? What time is it…" He mumbled, rubbing his forehead.

"It's nearly midnight. If you were hoping for a meal prepared by the ultimate cook, I'm afraid he's long since retired." Choosing between quality meals, and the displeasure of subjecting oneself to his obscene ramblings was a dilemma every student at Hopes Peak had faced at one point, or another.

"Seriously? That took way too long…"

If she were to guess… "Helping someone with an art project, perhaps?"

He blinked. "Yeah. Well, I was supposed to be, anyway. How did you know?"

She considered him for moment. "You smell like glue."

"Oh". He winced "I was hoping I got most of it out."

She waited for him to elaborate. After a moment, he spoke up. "I… may have gotten covered in glue". He confessed.

"…I see" She did not see. "May I ask, how you managed that?"

Makoto rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. "Hifumi wanted my help for something in the art room, he'd been in the middle of explaining what he wanted when Mondo came running in. He seemed pretty angry, I never did learn why, though…" He broke off for a moment to see if she was listening. when she showed no signs of interjecting, he carried on.

"He must've been pretty upset, since he ended up shoving past me as he ran up to Hifumi. I got knocked into one of the shelves, hard. And well, I guess whoever used that can of glue last didn't secure the lid properly when they put it back…"

…

"A lot of it got on my hoodie." He paused. "And my hair…"

"And I suppose you've spent a lot of time washing it out?" This boy was proving himself to be rather unfortunate, the irony wasn't lost on her. Kyoko found herself experiencing a mixture of amusement and pity.

"Mhm." He nodded. "Like I said, it got in my hair. I was worried I was going to have to cut some of it out." He was lucky none of it had gotten in his eyes.

…

Whatever Kyoko had been expecting from this conversation, there wasn't any feasible way she could have predicted it going quite like this.

"Um, Kyoko? Do you want to eat dinner together?" He eyed her. "If you don't mind, I mean." He was like a puppy, she mused. A puppy that smelled of shampoo and adhesive. She could say no, of course. She could lie, and say she had already finished eating.

"…Do as you like."

As they sat down, she began going over the events of the past day. The case she had been working on was closed, but she was in the habit of repeating the events of any given case internally. It helped minimize any oversights she may have otherwise missed.

_The body was found in the laundry room. A screwdriver lay nearby, dirtied with blood. This had been ruled to be the murder weapon during the initial investigation. However-_

"Would you like some tea, Kyoko?"

It seemed work would have to wait.

"If you don't mind, as long as it's not caffeinated."

Makoto smiled. "Of course! Hang on a minute, I know I had some in here somewhere…" As he said this, he pulled his backpack onto his lap and began sorting through its contents. It wasn't long before the table was littered with what appeared to be…

"I didn't take you for a gacha addict." She couldn't fathom why he would have so many unopened capsules.

He gave her a blank look. "Oh! Actually, this is for an assignment. I'm supposed to use the gacha machine in the rec room a certain amount of times each day, and document what comes out."

"This is related to your talent, I'm assuming?"

Makoto frowned down at a capsule. "That's right, though what they'd be able to discern from my results, I have no idea." Sighing, he placed it on the table and turned towards her. "I can't say I've ever considered myself very lucky, anyway. So, I'm not sure this talent really suits me to begin with."

She couldn't refute that.

"I guess I shouldn't complain though, since I've really been enjoying my time here. I'm stuck with this talent, so I might as well make the most of it." He smiled.

…

"T-That wasn't meant to be a pun."

…

"I'm assuming you don't have to pay for these out of your own pocket?" Leave it to Hopes Peak to craft an assignment that amounted to little more than gambling, at least in 'Celeste's' case one could argue it was justified.

"Not exactly, the machine actually uses these." Makoto reached into his pocket and held out a handful of tokens baring the school's insignia. "The teachers give these out, you can find them lying around sometimes. I need to make sure I have enough, so I've ended up doing a few favours for the teachers here and there. Meeting that quota's all I really have to worry about." He glanced at the sea of capsules in front of them. "That, and making sure I don't become a hoarder."

So that was what those coins were for, Kyoko had found a few exploring the campus. But had quickly written them off as rubbish. A tacky, overly abundant piece of merchandise.

"I thought I threw this prize away… is it another duplicate?"

She wasn't sure she'd changed her mind.

"There's tea in the kitchen, you know."

Makoto halted in the middle of an attempt to pry open a capsule. "R-Right… I'll be back in a minute, okay?" He gathered the clutter of spheres into his bag and retreated to the kitchen. After a few minutes he returned, tea in hand.

"Thank you."

Taking a sip, Kyoko continued her earlier musings.

_The body had two wounds located in his inner thigh, of which the length and diameter were not consistent with the screwdriver. But when compared with the fire poker found in the living room, match up almost perfectly. Following that logic…_

"Hey, Kyoko. I've been meaning to apologise…"

And there it was, the reason she had been dreading this conversation.

"Is that so." She set down her tea. "I can't seem to recall you doing anything that would warrant an apology, though." He really hadn't.

"But…" He seemed conflicted.

"Makoto, you haven't wronged me in any way." So drop it, please.

"A-Alright…"

They sat in silence for a few minutes, only broken by the occasional clink of their cups.

"Hey, Kyoko… there was actually another reason I've been meaning to talk to you."

Oh?

"If you're in trouble, I'm happy to lend you my services." She placed her cup down, now empty. "I don't have the impression that you're approaching me thoughtlessly. However, I would prefer it if you made sure that this is a matter you truly need my help for."

"N-No, it's nothing like that. But I do appreciate that you'd help me if I needed it, thank you.". Makoto wrung his hands. "It's just… when I looked at the school's registry, most of the people there were pretty famous. But actually, there were a few of them that I couldn't find information on anywhere."

Ultimate Students that had no public presence to speak of, that would be Makoto Naegi, Mukuro Ikusaba and…

"When I first got that letter, I seriously considered rejecting it for a minute. Even now, I can't help but feel a little out of my depth. When I realised that I wasn't the only student who nobody knew about, it was kind of a relief. Like, maybe I wasn't the only one selected by chance, you know?"

… _Oh._

In the end, it came back to those feelings of alienation. Makoto Naegi did not consider himself to be on the same level than that of his peers. An abnormality in his normality.

"Are you disappointed. then?"

"H-Huh?" Her statement caught him off guard.

"If you were hoping for a sense of camaraderie from another, who was also not selected for their accomplishments. I'm afraid that's not something I can offer you." Neither could the Ultimate Soldier. "You ought to have known this from the moment I introduced myself." Validation from Hopes Peak may hold little meaning to her personally, but it was still a testament to her abilities.

To her surprise, Makoto stood up in response, an unusually determined expression crossed his face. "No… no, of course not. If anything, it's the opposite!" His words were invigorated and passionate. "I _was_ intimidated, at first. But even so… I decided that I wouldn't let that get in the way of making friends. As I got to know everyone… I realised. That you're all just like me. N-Not that your all not talented, I mean. But that we all have our own problems that we're struggling with. Fears, insecurities… expectations. We're all just… people. S-So that's why… that's why…"

…He hadn't let his intimidation get in the way.

He trailed off towards at the end, suddenly looking embarrassed. "A-And I know it might not make much sense, but I wanted to thank you. Even if it turned out to not be true, thinking I might not be alone helped give me enough confidence to come here in the first place. And… I don't feel alone anymore".

"So… thank you, Kyoko."

…

"Honestly…" She couldn't recall ever listening to something so cheesy. It was a bit difficult to take him seriously, but he seemed to be entirely genuine.

***Overly Sentimental.**

Despite her second-hand embarrassment, Kyoko couldn't help but feel respect for this boy. Makoto had managed to avoid the pitfall of allowing his admiration of Hopes Peak cloud his judgement. Which in turn, let him view his classmates through a more objective lens, albeit, an idealistic one. He was right, at the end of the day, talent could only separate people on a superficial level. Luck or no, not everyone could reach that conclusion.

"Well, I think that attitude will serve you well." She allowed the smallest of smiles to grace her lips, which she quickly masked.

Makoto, for his part, was awfully flustered by her praise. His cheeks dyed a deep crimson.

…

Kyoko hadn't realised how much time they'd spent talking until she checked the clock.

"If you don't mind, I think I'm going to turn in."

Makoto followed her line of sight "Oh wow, it's really late. Sorry for holding you up so long."

"It's no trouble, I could have left at any time if I felt the need."

As she was exiting the dining hall, he called out to her one last time.

"Um, Kyoko? If you don't mind, do you want to talk again sometime?"

All things considered Kyoko really didn't have a lot to talk about. Besides, she was planning to leave soon.

"If the opportunity presents itself, certainly." She replied, without turning around. Even if she didn't expect it to happen, she wasn't lying.

When she finally retired to her dorm, her dreams were placid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Makoto being covered in glue is not a euphemism... it's not.
> 
> ...
> 
> It's no-


End file.
